Clampdown on laser pointers is announced

THE government has revealed new measures to tackle the use of unsafe laser pointers.
By The Newsroom
Published 9th Jan 2018, 05:55 BST
Laser pointersLaser pointers
Laser pointers

Additional support will be given to local authority ports and borders teams, including granting the authority to test products to ensure they are safe.

In May last year a 14-year-old boy in Portsmouth was sentenced to a six-month youth referral order, after shining a laser at a police helicopter to see if it would reach.

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According to the British Transport Police, 578 laser incidents took place between April 2011 and November 2017.

Consumer minister Margot James said: ‘The government has listened to concerns from pilots, health professionals and safety experts, which is why we are going further than ever before to crack down on the sale of unsafe devices.

‘Public safety is of the utmost importance and we are working to increase the public’s knowledge of the potential dangers associated with these devices and strengthening the penalties for when they are misused.’